Faith for life

Security. Whether it’s the lock on your front door, the key to your safety deposit box, the wedding ring on your finger or the password protection on your laptop, we all crave security and stability. And why do we crave it so much? What does security provide us with? I believe the fundamental reason we crave the feeling of security so much, is because we long for protection. We want to protect our families, loved ones, property, money etc. We want the things we care for to be safe. And whilst there are more and more measures being introduced every single day to protect the things we love, accidents always happen, evil happens. Thieves break into houses. Keys go missing. Marriages break up. Laptops get hacked. There is only so much security we can put into our lives today. One of the hardest things, I think we as humans go through, is the pain of losing the ones we love. This is one of the things that reminds us that we are not in control. And, ultimately, what happens to all of the...

Some of you reading this, will be in a season of waiting. As I wrote, in a previous post, waiting can be extremely difficult and a particularly emotional time. You may be asking God some of these kinds of questions: Where should I be living? What job should I be doing? Who do you want me to marry? Should I have children? What should I do with my finances? Should I be buying a house? Should I stop doing this? Should I change direction? Wow, big big questions! There are so many questions God is asked every single day, and the good news is that he hears each and every single one of us and has prepared the answers to our questions since the beginning of time.  “But certainly God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.”  Psalm 66:19 Waiting is not particularly enjoyable, no matter what situation you find yourself in. But it produces in us perseverance and trust in God, which then leads to hope.  ‘Not only so, but we a...

A promise is a very special, important and binding deal made between friends. When you promise to do something, believe in something or help with something you are stating emphatically that you WILL do it. Promises are so desired by all kinds of people, that even little children make promises with their friends, because they crave the security and intimacy of their friendships.  It is sad, that as the years go on promises are made much too easily and without a great deal of thought or genuine intent. Husbands and wives promise not to leave each other, friends promise to be there for one another during hard times and families promise that they will always be there. However, these promises are frequently broken, whether by choice or by circumstance. This destruction of a promise does much to harm and confuse us, where it hurts, in our heart and soul. However, when we trust in God we are putting our trust in someone that is incapable of lying, unwilling to be disloyal and una...

The Bible tells us, over 400 times, to ‘fear not’. It is the most common command given to believers in the Bible. If the word of God tells us the same thing, so many times, then we need to realise that it must be important. That we need to learn from it and obey what he has asked us to do or not to do. ‘ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:5-7 It is important here, that we do not confuse mere ‘fear’ with the fear of God. We are told numerous times in the Bible to fear God, because our fear leads to understanding, knowledge, wisdom, goodness, God’s protection and, ultimately, salvation. To fear God is to respect God and know that he is a God of justice. He will not let evil go unpunished. Therefore, when we fear him we respect him and keep his c...